"Hey, Mom... it looks like you're expecting the President or something." (Chapter 2, pg. 16)
Peter says this to his mother as they are preparing the house for the Yarbys' visit. By using the President in this simile, Peter emphasizes how fancy and immaculate she has made the dining room look, in contrast to the house's usual appearance. It means she takes this visit very seriously, which makes it all the more frustrating when Fudge's behavior leaves a negative impression on the Yarbys, driving them out.
"Fudgie's a birdie! Fudgie's a birdie! Fly, birdie... fly..." (Chapter 4, pg. 39)
In this small metaphor Fudge "becomes" a bird, believing that he can fly just like one. This is one example of his overactive imagination getting him into trouble. Little kids often have difficulty telling the difference between fantasy and reality, and this certainly gets Fudge into a lot of sticky situations throughout the book.
"I started calling him Fang because when he smiles all you can see are the top two side teeth next to the big space. So it looks like he has fangs." (Chapter 5, pg. 44)
After Fudge knocks out his two front teeth by jumping off the jungle gym, Peter compares his new smile to a creature with fangs, and "Fang" becomes his new nickname. This gives readers a clear visual of what Fudge looks like after the accident, and sets the stage for a small, humorous conflict between Peter and his mother over this nickname.
"He jumped right into every one and splashed around like a little duck." (Chapter 9, pg. 99)
In his narration, Peter often compares Fudge to animals or describes his behavior in the context of an animal he is trying to imitate. First, Fudge pretends to be a dog and eats food off the floor; next, Fudge thinks he is a bird and jumps off the jungle gym; here, Fudge is jumping in every puddle like a duck. Comparing Fudge to animals gives readers even more of an impression that Fudge's bad behavior is almost animal-like and hard to control.
"They look like a bunch of football players huddled together talking about the next play." (Chapter 8, pg. 94)
Peter uses this simile to describe what it looks like when all the advertising company officials, including his father, are coming up with an idea to get Fudge to cooperate and ride the Toddle-Bike. This comparison makes it clear that dealing with Fudge is sometimes like a game; when you figure out which strategies work, you use them over and over again to "win" and get him to behave. This happens repeatedly after everyone figures out that Fudge will only cooperate when he sees Peter as an example.
